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BUSH/ASHCROFT REWARDED MIAMI INS DIRECTOR WITH PROMOTION TO REGIONAL DIRECTOR POSITION
Judicial Watch ^ | April 11, 2002

Posted on 04/11/2002 8:19:03 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist

For Immediate Release

Apr 11, 2002

Press Office: 202-646-5172

BUSH/ASHCROFT REWARDED MIAMI INS DIRECTOR WITH PROMOTION TO REGIONAL DIRECTOR POSITION

Robert Wallis Admits “Proudest Moment of His Life” Was When INS Agent Held Shotgun To Peaceful Protester’s Head During Illegal Raid On Elian Gonzalez’s Family Home In Miami’s “Little Havana”

(Miami) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, took the sworn testimony of Robert Wallis today, wherein the former Miami INS director revealed that he was selected for promotion to Regional INS Director and transferred to Texas in April 2001, under the Bush Administration and Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Wallis admitted, under examination by Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman, that the “proudest moment of his life” was captured in an Associated Press photograph of INS Supervisory Special Agent Gwenn Reed holding a shotgun to the head of a prone and “spread-eagle” protestor – Mario Miranda – during the illegal INS raid to return young Elian Gonzalez to Communist Cuba. Mr. Miranda is a retired Miami police officer and was responsible for safety and security around the Gonzalez home. Wallis’ testimony came during a Merit Systems Protection Board hearing for INS whistleblower and Judicial Watch client Rick Ramirez. Mr. Ramirez “blew the whistle” on anti-Cuban and anti-Hispanic bigotry in the Miami INS office, as well as INS supervisors’ orders to destroy all documents and computer records concerning the Elian Gonzalez saga. Earlier testimony from INS attorney Diana Alvarez confirmed that the orders to destroy documents and records came from INS Commissioner Doris Meissner.

Wallis confirmed that he was aware of Mr. Ramirez’s whistleblower disclosures, and of the pervasive anti-Cuban and anti-Hispanic bigotry in the Miami INS office.

Judicial Watch, as counsel for Special Agent Ramirez, has made repeated requests for over one year to Attorney General Ashcroft, asking that he take action in this matter.

“It is shocking that rather than take steps to clean out the Miami office of anti-Cuban and Hispanic prejudice, that instead Ashcroft and his Bush administration rewarded, with a promotion, the district director responsible for the prejudice. This shows insensitivity to the rights of Hispanics,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.


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To: Luis Gonzalez

November 17, 2000

 

INS Deputy Commissioner Wyrsch to Serve as Acting Commissioner

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced that Deputy Commissioner Mary Ann Wyrsch will serve as the agency’s Acting Commissioner upon Commissioner Doris Meissner’s departure today from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Mary Ann Wyrsch will serve until a new Commissioner is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Ms. Wyrsch was appointed INS Deputy Commissioner in March 1998 and since that time has been responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of INS operations and its more than 30,000 employees worldwide.


INS Selects Central Region Director; INS Miami District Director Robert A. Wallis Returning to Texas

WASHINGTON, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Acting Commissioner Mary Ann Wyrsch today announced the selection of Robert A. Wallis as Director of the Central Region Office in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Wallis is currently the INS Miami district director. "I am deeply honored to be selected for this position," Mr. Wallis said. "I would like to thank Commissioner Wyrsch for placing her confidence in my abilities to perform in this most important and exciting position.


New Acting INS Commissioner Announced

On March 6, 2001, Kevin D. Rooney was appointed as Acting Commissioner of INS. He will assume this position from April 2, 2001. Rooney's prior position is as Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the agency that oversees the Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. EOIR, like INS, is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Rooney will be replacing Acting INS Commissioner Mary Ann Wyrsch, who has accepted a position as the U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees. Mr. Rooney will hold the Acting Commissioner position until the appointment of a permanent INS Commissioner.


A little time line info.....
41 posted on 04/11/2002 9:47:35 PM PDT by deport
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To: Luis Gonzalez
No, of course that is not an earth-shattering revalation. Perhaps Klayman thought this was the best course of action.
42 posted on 04/11/2002 9:47:53 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: section9
if ya run the numbers,clinton, ralph nader and two nashville disk jockeys got george elected. Clinton in general was such a foul presence that gore got a tremendous amount of negative votes from even being close to him, the "cooties" effect. Nader pulled way more votes from gore than pat and harry did from bush, and gore lost his own state of tennesse from those disk jockeys raising a righteous ruckus in being relentless in tying in gore to the crooked drug dealing sheriff. I'll admit that elian had a negative impact on gore, but I think the other three points had much more bearing on the sum total of results and the outcome.

Of course, this all only applies if you want to insist that elections aren't massively rigged almost everyplace. Let alone who actually becomes the behind the scenes 'golden boy" and gets the air time and thereby gets 'picked" in the primaries.

43 posted on 04/11/2002 9:49:17 PM PDT by zog
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To: Luis Gonzalez
I agree with you to a certain degree. But I still believe that you are being too harsh on Klayman.
44 posted on 04/11/2002 9:50:54 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: deport
This is a very high level appointment. This guy is not simply a pencil pusher. I am not sure if Bush and Ashcroft toasted with this guy on his promotion, but people appointed by Bush and Ashcroft definitely did. Personnel is policy.
45 posted on 04/11/2002 10:07:20 PM PDT by Satadru
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To: Luis Gonzalez
He was rewarded with a promotion and a transfer. In my eyes, that proves his guilt. I've only been here 5 years, and this is what happens when you screw up big.

I wish some Pakistanis would show up at my airport so I could parole them in and get a promotion.

Keep me posted.

46 posted on 04/11/2002 10:13:27 PM PDT by Marine Inspector
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To: TN Republican
Regional INS Director is not a "low-level position."

There are only four Regional Directors, and they report directly to HQ.

47 posted on 04/11/2002 10:15:57 PM PDT by Marine Inspector
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To: TN Republican
And haven't you heard about the Mexican truckers coming through the very same Central Region, being given inspection waivers so they can drive on our roads with faulty brakes?

We have not let any Mexican tuckers into the US yet. While this is being pushed, it has not happened yet.

48 posted on 04/11/2002 10:21:31 PM PDT by Marine Inspector
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
Those that want "security" over liberty will be the down- fall of America, IMO. Only 48% of the population votes. One day, we will wake up and say, what happened?

Have you noticed how many on this forum attempt to defend the indefensible and apply some machivelian convoluted esoteric meaning to what the Prez and congress is doing?Just like the clinton's disciples. The dem's liberal programs are being initiated, but, they apply the aformentioned meaning the actions taken.

49 posted on 04/11/2002 10:33:53 PM PDT by poet
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To: poet
"meanings the action taken" should read: meaning to the actions taken.
50 posted on 04/11/2002 10:36:42 PM PDT by poet
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
Look...I WANT Larry to succeed. I think everyone would want Larry to succeed.

I have a problem with the misleading headlines, and the tabloid quality of their press releases.

Judicial Watch did not "uncover" anything related to the INS case, yet they claimed just that on another release. In fact, a citizen came to them with the information, and a need for help. Other citizens have come forth since as a result of that.

Neither Bush, nor Ashcroft had anything to do with the promotion of this individual anywhere, and to expect that either one of them could possibly have intimate knowledge of that level of Federal government operations is absurd.

There's something real creepy about using lies and distortions in a PR campaign promoting your ongoing struggle for truth and justice.

If Larry truly wants to win these battles, God Bless him and my apologies.

I also suggest that he should make whoever writes JW's press releases immediately available to the industry, and then find someone who can simply tell us the truth.

51 posted on 04/11/2002 10:42:59 PM PDT by Luis Gonzalez
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Comment #52 Removed by Moderator

Comment #53 Removed by Moderator

To: ratcat
"...Klayman is the only one doing anything with that information..."

See...there we go again.

No, he's not.

There are others, among them the Landmark Legal Foundation, doing the very same thing.

54 posted on 04/11/2002 11:48:58 PM PDT by Luis Gonzalez
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To: ratcat
Could you please substantiate that.
55 posted on 04/11/2002 11:51:19 PM PDT by Luis Gonzalez
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To: FreedominJesusChrist
Bump!
56 posted on 04/12/2002 2:24:59 AM PDT by Bogie
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To: Luis Gonzalez
"I WANT Larry to succeed."

Okay, if you really WANT Larry to succeed, you might want to put accountability in the right place and perspective. Your "he can't know everything" argument is a poor explanation, not to mention overly simplistic, as to why this man was promoted to a higher position within the INS. Of course Bush and Ashcroft cannot know EVERYTHING that goes on internally within government bureaucracy, but because of this, that gives them an even greater responsibility to appoint compentent people to those positions. Obviously, this did not happen, and you instead choose to blame Larry Klayman, one of the only people around fighting for Justice for the Cuban-Americans whose rights have seriously been infringed by the Federal Government.

So tell me, what has the Bush Administration or the Justice Department ever done to help the Cuban-Americans down in Miami whose rights have been infringed? Where is their accountability in the whole process?

You are attacking the wrong people here; Larry Klayman and Judicial Watch are doing EVERYTHING they can to help these people, while on the otherhand, the Justice Department is doing nothing to prosecute the real criminal here--those who didn't bother to obtain a search warrant to enter into a private citizen's home and those who harrassed peaceful protesters. The 1st and 4th Amendments were violated here by our own government and the Justice Department is doing nothing. Perhaps they have forgotten that American citizens have the right to peacefully assemble and protest and that Probable Cause and a search warrant is needed before they bust into someone's home. Ironically, Klayman and Judicial Watch are and you are attacking them.

57 posted on 04/12/2002 9:34:21 AM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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To: MJY1288
More distortion from JW; lies for bucks!
58 posted on 04/12/2002 9:40:14 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: Luis Gonzalez
It would be nice if "Larry" could succeed. It's just too bad that he, the one DEMANDS government tell the truth and be corruption free, distorts and lies about things like this.

Bush wouldn't even have known about this, and Ashcroft wasn't even in office yet.

More JW BS.

59 posted on 04/12/2002 9:41:56 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: Luis Gonzalez
No, LandMark Legal Foundation is not doing the same thing as Judicial Watch. The only thing that they have in common is that they are both conservative, respect the Constitution, and are public interest legal firms. One quick glance at Landmark Legal's mission statement and you can tell that they have different concentrations in law. Judicial Watch specifically goes after government abuse and corruption, whereas Landmark Legal specifically "represents public figures and average Americans victimized by the unconstitutional laws and regulations that deny them access to quality schools, takes their property without compensation, tramples their individual liberties and hampers their economic opportunities." Not quite the same besides the fact that they are both conservative legal firms.
60 posted on 04/12/2002 9:44:53 AM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
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